Computer Security News

Since the spring of 2014, computer security has remained in the forefront of news. Malware attacks on computers increase year after year. Currently, there are approximately four new threats released every second of each day.

We constantly have customers asking how to avoid viruses and we tell them to stay away from the Internet. Of course, this isn’t a reasonable response. Young and old spend time each day on the Internet and as long as there is an internet, there will be hackers.

A computer virus is a malicious program that spreads from computer to computer.

Viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, and malware are all forms of malicious programs.

The word malware derives from: MALicious software.

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Antivirus Software News

An important step in protecting your system from malware is installing strong antivirus software. Just because a particular piece of antivirus software is offered for free, doesn’t mean that it is less effective. Many of the leading antivirus software providers are able to offer high quality, free software to the home user because they sell larger programs to corporate users and small businesses.

Next, keep that antivirus software up to date. Most antivirus software programs will attempt a weekly update on their own. If you are on the computer when this update occurs, please find a stopping point and allow the program to proceed with the update. Too many people turn off the automatic updates and forget to manually start the updates later. With new forms of malware arriving daily, you need to let your software download the new information.

Malware News

We like and use Malwarebytes 3.0. The link above will take you directly and securely to Malwarebytes and if you purchase it using that link, we will receive a small commission to help support our website. Thank you!

If you share your computer with others, please educate them on how to keep the system healthy. If you have a teenager that downloads Limewire or WireShare (yes, we still find these) on your system and then downloads some “free” music or movies, you will find that you have a back door wide open on your system.

Be careful in your Internet travels. Try to get some information on a website before clicking on it. If a site offers free downloads such as games or patterns, chances are that malware or spyware could be lurking nearby.

Also, when friends send you forwarded emails (you know the type) don’t click on the attachments. That is usually similar to licking a shopping cart handle. Email attachments are the main vehicle for malware distribution. If you receive emails from people you don’t know and the subject lines don’t seem to make sense or look like an advertisement, get rid of them immediately. Do not even attempt to open them.

Phishing Scam News

Furthermore, be on the lookout for phishing scams that arrive in your email box. These usually look like requests from credit card companies, cable providers, the IRS, or delivery services like FedEx or UPS and they ask you to “login” and provide updated account information. If any of these arrive, call the company directly with information listed on their official home website and ask if they are sending out the email requests. They will probably say “No.”

Adware News

A new gray area in computer security lies in adware. Pop-up ads are everywhere and while most are harmless, many clog up your computer’s processor with their use of Adobe Flash. Flash had some vulnerability in its code in 2015 but has since been patched. Therefore, make sure that you keep your Adobe Flash and Reader Apps up to date. When you do update Flash, please only do so from the Adobe.com website. Most of the pop-ups these days telling you to update Flash are scams, do not click on them.

You may notice that we don't run ads on our website. Even though participating in something like Google AdSense would help support this site financially, we don't want to run the risk of infecting our customers computers with malware or adware. That is why you will only find Amazon ads or Malwarebytes ads on our site for now. We carefully investigate any ads we run on this site for possible malware weaknesses. If an ad set looks like it could be easily compromised, then we won't place it on this website. Therefore, any Amazon or Malwarebytes ad you access from our site and go on to purchase from, helps support our site financially and keeps you safe.

Tech Call Scam News

A new form of computer security threat comes in the form of adware and is known as the “Tech Call Scam.” This is the pop-up attaches to your browser. It states that numerous viruses have been found on your computer and you should call a 1-800 number immediately for assistance or download an updated virus cleaner. They usually pretend to be well-known companies like Microsoft or McAfee and their only interest is to take your money and place malware and backdoors on your machine.

This malvertising can piggy back on legitimate ads or “free” downloads. MalwareBytes Anti-Exploit is currently doing a good job of blocking many of these bad actors.

These few computer security steps won’t keep you 100% safe from malware
but they will save you time and money in the long run. If you also make a
habit of backing up your data on a regular basis you should never lose
any of that data. Using external hard drives and / or flashdrives will
protect your financial statements, documents, and media for years to
come. It also protects them from being stolen from your desktop by
hackers.

Computer Security in the Age of Malware Storms

Check back here often for updates and news concerning computer security
and how to keep your sanity during these malware storms. We will be
adding new links to articles as information arrives.

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